For the second consecutive weekend, thousands of people took to the streets in London to join a pro-Palestinian protest. The Met Police estimated that up to 100,000 people joined the march and were set to end it in a rally near Downing Street as at 2 pm BST. In addition to London, smaller demonstrations took place in Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham, and Salford. The protestors were calling for the British and Welsh governments to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as well as the delivery of full humanitarian aid to the area.
This development comes as the first aid deliveries have reached Gaza since Israel imposed a blockade following a Hamas attack that killed 1,400 people in Israel. Palestinian officials have stated that more than 4,000 people have since been killed in Israeli bombardments. Meanwhile, about 1.4 million Gazans have been displaced, with more than half a million people in 147 UN shelters, according to the UN. Israel cut off supplies of fuel, electricity, and water to Gaza after Hamas’s military wing broke through the border into Israel on 7 October, killing people and taking more than 200 hostages.
The Met Police stated that more than 1,000 officers were involved in policing the London event. The police made two arrests after fireworks were launched at police officers in Trafalgar Square, while another person was arrested in relation to an “incident last week.” Home Secretary Suella Braverman has previously urged police chief constables to consider whether the slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” calls for the destruction of Israel. The Community Security Trust (CST), which provides security to Jewish communities, mentioned that it was aware of plans for a smaller protest in Golders Green, an area of north London with a large Jewish population.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More